Nov. 10 - Your lighting opinion wanted @ wickedfrags.com (pics)

[Delphinus]

I wasn't online much this weekend and somehow missed this thread.

I was actually planning on a prop tank with the same dimensions for my new system, although I might go a little higher, either 8", 12" or even 14". Reason being is that it's also going to replace my 40g gigantea tank as they have outgrown the 24x24 footprint (12" high) for a while now. I want it shallow but not so shallow that it presents a challenge for flow conditions once it has some rock, also I want some side viewing opportunities since I guess it's not technically just a prop tank.

Anyhow, there's the background. I was thinking going 2x250W over this tank, mainly because I have some HQI ballasts sitting around unused anyhow, so might as well put them to use. However, I think T5's would work just as well. Plus with T5's you can mix and match bulbs.

The costs savings however .. I don't think will be significant. If this was MY tank, with the 36" depth I'd probably be looking at at least an 8-lamp T5 unit. And well .. 8*54 = 432, so that's not a huge reduction from 500. Also the cost of replacing halides is in the order of $80-110 (depending on what you use, what deals/sales you can find, etc.) and the cost of T5's ranging in price from $20-30 (as far as I can tell) means a lamp replacement turnover cost of around $200 as well. (Of course, at least with T5's you don't have to replace them all at once.)

Anyhow, I'm not at all suggesting that halides would have been a better choice. It's really a case of preference and I think that either option is really good. If you've decided on T5's then there you go.

One thing I am curious on however is that it seems that as a prop tank, you're not leveraging off the main tank's ability to replenish Ca/Alk/etc (calcium reactor, etc.). As a user of many tanks that are disparate (I house many anemones and in general it is bad form to house multiple anemones in the same water), I can tell you I find it a bit of a drag that I have multiple skimmers, multiple lighting options, multiple reactors, multiple CO2 systems, multiple dosing schemes, and .. with the capital I have invested across these many tanks, I could have had one top-shelf system instead of 3 or 4 mediocre setups. And the $10 frags that I sell at the rate of about 1 per every 6 to 12 months, just doesn't seem to be cutting it for a replacement income. I know your situation is slightly different, and anyhow, this tank will work as a "wicked" frag holding tank regardless, so anyhow it's just an observation. With my 48x36 tank I'm hoping to run it as a satellite tank branched off the main tank's sump, if for no other reason than I can leverage my Ca and Kalk reactors and skimmers. The ritteri tank will forever be a distinct system though, I've learned my lesson with that one.